Corona incidence in Germany is increasing again - experts expect "unreported figures times two" and give reasons

Created: 04/21/2022, 09:31 am

By: Martina Lippl, Kai Hartwig, Christoph Gschoßmann

The corona incidence is picking up again.

The RKI reports almost 190,000 new infections.

But the number of unreported cases is immense, experts warn.

The news ticker for the corona pandemic in Germany.

• Diffuse data: the head of the Medical Association names factors for the number of unreported cases.

• Corona incidence

  continues to rise: According to the RKI, the value is now

  720.6.

• Mask requirement and 3G: Virologist Streeck currently sees little influence on the course of the corona pandemic

• Booster vaccination: Lower Saxony allows the fourth vaccination.

• This

   news ticker

   on the 

  Corona*

  pandemic in Germany

   is updated regularly.

Update, April 21, 7.46 a.m .:

How meaningful are the corona numbers?

The so-called “Osterdelle” made headlines last year.

Germany is poking around in the fog, according to criticism.

Also this year, after the Easter holidays, the Corona numbers are incomplete.

The values ​​should be interpreted with caution, experts warn.

"We expect an unreported number times two in terms of the reported corona cases," said the chairman of the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service, Johannes Nießen, to the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND).

Diffuse data on the Corona numbers is not only due to the Easter holidays

Accordingly, there are several reasons for the high number of unregistered infections.

For example, not all rapid tests would be retested with a PCR test, "because that has no consequences for many vaccinated victims," ​​explained Nießen.

“In addition, we are observing a more relaxed handling of Corona, not everyone with cold symptoms can be tested for Corona, vaccinated people are hardly ever tested and 3G only applies in a few areas.

This means that the dark field is getting bigger," said Nießen.

Corona in Germany: Incidence is increasing again

Update, April 21, 6:05

a.m .: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports

within 24 hours.

That is 20,957 more cases than on Thursday a week ago.

The

(previous day: 688.3).

This emerges from the data from the Covid dashboard on Thursday morning.

In addition, 324 deaths related to Sars-CoV-2 were recorded within one day.

However, due to the public holidays and Easter holidays, there may still be late registrations.

The corona numbers are therefore currently incomplete, and a comparison of the daily values ​​is becoming increasingly difficult.

The RKI last gave the hospitalization incidence on Wednesday at 3.71 (Tuesday: 3.48).

Here, too, there are days with incomplete reports.

The value also includes many people with a positive corona test who have another main illness.

1,703 Covid patients are currently being treated in the intensive care units in Germany.

Of these, 696 must be artificially ventilated.

This emerges from the data of the DIVI intensive care register (as of April 21, 5:05 a.m.).

A symbol on the intensive care unit of a clinic indicates the Covid area.

© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/symbol image

“The COVID new admissions to the intensive care units continue to decline, as does the occupancy.

About 60 percent of patients need oxygen therapy, ventilation and a few ECMO," tweeted intensive care physician Christian Karagiannidis.

"Hardly any more pregnant women.

It's getting quieter in everyday hospital life."

It is good news in these times, writes Karagiannidis.

Regionally, however, there could still be heavy burdens, he admits.

"The lack of staff is still the No. 1 issue," says the intensive care physician.

Corona virus in Germany: RKI reports 198,583 new infections (April 21, 2022)

Update, April 20, 8:41 p.m .:

The booster against the corona virus should be even more effective: According to a new study, Moderna’s combination booster should protect against omicron better than the previous booster vaccination.

Lower Saxony enables fourth vaccination

Update, April 20, 6:41 p.m .: Will

many Germans soon be vaccinated four times?

At least one federal state wants to make this possible for its residents: From the beginning of autumn, corona vaccinations are to be offered nationwide for everyone in Lower Saxony.

This was announced by the deputy head of the state government’s Corona crisis management team, Claudia Schröder, on Wednesday in Hanover.

The third vaccination was more than six months ago for most of them from autumn.

The aim of the fourth vaccination is to reduce the risk of infection again before winter.

The infrastructure with vaccinating doctors and mobile vaccination teams will therefore continue to be maintained.

New forms of antisemitism during the corona pandemic

Update from April 20, 5:26 p.m .:

According to the findings of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, new forms of anti-Semitism have emerged in the corona pandemic.

The situation report speaks of “coded anti-Semitism that embeds the pandemic in an ideological conspiracy argument”.

It is "frightening that anti-Semitic narratives can sometimes be connected to the middle of German society," said Thomas Haldenwang, President of the Authority, on the occasion of the situation report on anti-Semitism presented on Wednesday. 

It is about "a secret, world-controlling power using the pandemic as an instrument to implement its plan for a 'New World Order'".

The so-called QAnon conspiracy complex, which has a decidedly anti-Semitic core in parts, is known for this.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) declared that it was "a shame for our country how much anti-Semitic hate speech and contempt for human beings are still being spread today".

It was “shameful how the genocide of European Jews was downplayed by some corona deniers who attach a yellow star to themselves”.

Hospitalization incidence in Germany at 3.71

Update from April 20, 12:21 p.m

.: The hospitalization incidence in Germany is currently 3.71.

The RKI announced this in its situation report on Wednesday.

On Tuesday the value was still 3.48.

However, the RKI estimates the actual incidence of hospitalization due to delayed reports to be significantly higher.

Mask requirement and 3G: Virologist Streeck currently sees little influence on the course of the corona pandemic

Update from April 20, 10:47 a.m

.: The omicron wave is ebbing away.

The RKI determined before Easter that the zenith has long been passed.

According to experts, the obligation to wear masks and 3G no longer have much of an impact on what is happening in the pandemic.

Seasonality has the greatest effect on “the spread of the virus,” says virologist Hendrik Streeck of the

newspaper.

"These include warmer temperatures, more UV radiation and the behavior of people who are drawn outside at the beginning of spring.

We are currently seeing that.”

Streeck is skeptical about the effectiveness of the corona measures.

Data would suggest that more than two out of three infections occur in private and few would use a mask there.

There are hardly any differences between the declared hotspots and the other federal states.

"Everywhere in Germany, the incidence of infection is declining at high speed."

Corona in Germany: Virologist Stöhr explains decline - "Virus finds less susceptible hosts"

Virologist Klaus Stöhr says in the

: "The effect of corona measures is drastically overestimated." The incidence of infection is currently declining sharply across Germany, "because many people became infected and thus got natural immunity.

The virus is simply less likely to find susceptible hosts.”

For the head of statutory health insurance physicians, Andreas Gassen, the falling corona numbers are also proof that the end of the measures will not have any negative consequences.

"Most of the people are able to act on their own responsibility."

Corona numbers are rising again!

RKI reports higher values ​​than in the previous week - incidence descent stopped

First report from April 20, 2022:

Berlin – The nationwide incidence has risen to 688.3 compared to the previous day (previous day: 669.9).

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recorded 198,583 new corona infections and 348 deaths within one day.

That emerges from data from the Covid-19 dashboard on Wednesday morning.

According to experts, the actual corona numbers are likely to be much higher.

Because of the Easter holidays, there may also be an “increased under-recording” of cases in the reporting system, the RKI reports on its website.

This should be taken into account when interpreting the case numbers.

Incidentally, a week ago 176,303 new infections and 361 deaths were recorded.

Corona virus in Germany: RKI reports 198,583 new infections (April 20, 2022)

Corona incidence: hospitalization rate at 3.48

The RKI gave the number of Corona*-infected patients per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days on Tuesday as 3.48 (Thursday: 6.41).

Here, too, there are days with incomplete reports; this so-called hospitalization incidence is not updated on weekends and public holidays.

The value also includes many people with a positive corona test who have another main illness.

Corona: So many intensive care beds are occupied

1,769 Covid-19 patients are currently being treated in the intensive care units in Germany.

Of these, 691 must be artificially ventilated.

This emerges from the data of the DIVI intensive care register (as of April 20, 5:05 a.m.).

Here you can read the news ticker for the corona virus until April 19.